A Promise Kept
by Phsyco Novelist
Summary: Organoids will dissapear and reappear, and Raven will find his inner self. What he really needs to do is decide whether or not he is going to avenge Reeses death, or let his friend fall three stories. R&R plez!
1. Raven Vs Van, Ready Fight

-----------------------------------A Promise Kept---------------------------------------  
  
The great wheel of life, Kahn-Tang, has started to revolve again. Caught up in Kahn, or Fate, the warrior, Raven, struggles to keep his fighting reputation while trying to keep two promises he made. But the wheel of Kahn has another idea. Slowly, Raven loses his fighting skills. But a young woman, Fenix, whom he eventualy befriends is gifted enough to teach Raven how to fight again, and the wheel of Kahn is forced to try again. Though, Fenix's tactic is strange. Their friendship grows deeper than both of them wanted, and becomes threatening to their lives when they near their destination. In the last great city, Salamandasteron, Raven meets the thought-to-be-long-dead Hiltz, but he isn't as dead as rumored. His wits are still about him, and he forces Raven to choose. Let his best andonly friend fall to her death of a twenty story drop, or avenge his old love's death? Very suspensful!  
  
*)*)*)*)*)*))*)*)*)*))*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*))*)*)*  
  
As the first drops of rain came upon the desert lands of Zi, two Zoids faced off. A GenoBreaker, and a Blade liger. Two ancient powers, once again pitted against each other in a battle for power. But pride was all that was at stake today.   
  
Another drop of rain bounced off the Liger's cockpit. Van jumped nervously. He was ready, that was clear. But he was nervous all the same. Undoubtedly, Raven had been preparing for the two years they had been apart. But that wasn't why Van was so nervous. It was because of the rumors. The rumors that Raven had found a new Organoid. A more powerful Organoid. But those were just as they were. Rumors.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Van?" Raven's sneer cut off Van's thoughts.  
  
"It's your move this time," Van answered simply. "I went last time."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Raven snorted.  
  
"I remember."  
  
Scarcely were those words out of his mouth, and Raven was upon him. The Genobreaker roared in fury as its move was put against it. The Liger dodged out of the way and its paw moved lightning quick to slash at the Breaker. But the Breaker moved faster than the Liger, quickly blocking the blow with the wing shield. The two Zoids pulled back to stare each other down.  
  
"You said it was my move." Raven's voice was accusing.  
  
"I never said I wouldn't fight back."  
  
Raven was silent at this comment.  
  
"So are we going to fight, or are you going to stand there all day?"  
  
"Your move."  
  
Van rolled his eyes and slowly looked around himself to see his ground. The rain was coming heavier now. His cover would have to be just perfect, if it were his move... The boulder, to his left, big enough to hide the Liger, that would be perfect.  
  
Van made his move. He charged the Liger to the left, much to the surprise of Raven, who was unprepared for such an evasive move. The Liger dashed to the rock, and the cover beyond it. It was time to use a secret weapon that Van had been just dieing to test out. Almost immediately, the Liger disappeared. Stealth cloaks.  
  
The Breaker stood cautiously in the clearing. It cocked its head to the side as the Liger, invisible by the Breaker, stalked into the clearing. Obviously sensing something was wrong, the Breaker took an involuntary step back. On the screen in the cockpit, the heat sensors flashed up. It showed the Liger right next to the boulder.  
  
"Van! That's playing real dirty!"  
  
"I'm just paying you back for the few battles you did the same to me."  
  
"Pay back this," Raven snarled, and the Genobreaker began to collect energy. A ball of golden light illuminated from the Breaker's mouth, the energy blades flicked forward. In an instant, the particle beam seared forward. "I promised, Van. Now you have to keep your side. Don't wimp out." The golden light reflected in Raven's cold eyes.  
  
Van was only just able to escape the searing heat of the energy blast. He lost the stealth cloak, and the liger went tumbling head over tail, the rain beating off the armor in torrents. When the Liger stood up shakily, it was caked with mud.  
  
"Good. Very good. But I must admit the Liger's tumbling act was a little bit ungraceful." Raven's mocking laugh plagued Van's intercom.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Van pushed the boosters forward, extended the blades, and charged. His sudden speed and accuracy in the fight managed to sever one energy blade from the right shield. As the Liger bounded past the Breaker, and rounded in a half tight circle, fire from the Breaker invaded Van's vision. The clouts of mud flew up onto the cockpit of the Liger, clouding Van's vision.  
  
Raven laughed triumphantly. "An eye for an eye." Then he was on Van, the Breaker forcing the Liger to the ground with a tight, vice-like grip around its neck. The Liger struggled violently. Then, with an almighty push of its front paws, the Liger heaved the other Zoid, causing it to go sprawling along the muddy ground.  
  
Little did either of the fighters know, there was one person watching this battle. One person neither of them knew. One young person who was quite terrified by the new twist in the battle.  
  
Van shook his head, and the Liger pointed its snout to the sky, the rain washing the mud off the cockpit glass. Van looked to the Genobreaker, and was surprised to see it was still on the ground. He readied his artillery, but he was a true Republican, and didn't kick someone, even if it was Raven, once they were down. His eyebrow twitched in nervousness. "Raven, you promised, so don't wimp out." Somehow, repeating the phrase Raven had said seemed to make him feel better.  
  
Raven was awake. He was waiting for the chance to get Van. To surprise his enemy. And that moment was now. The Breaker staggered to its feet, seeming as if it were drunk. Then, in a split second, it gained its balance, and a searing beam of light emitted from its mouth. Van had a very small chance of dodging this. But somehow, he did.  
  
"What's the matter Van? Are you having trouble dodging? I believe I seared off a little of your blade there."  
  
"I wasn't ready."  
  
"Tsk tsk. You're supposed to be ready at all times. That's why you're a great Zoid pilot, right?" Raven laughed in a not-so-friendly way. "I think you may need your Organoid!"  
  
"Zeek's gone and you know it, Raven."  
  
"Oh, what happened?" Raven asked mockingly.  
  
Yes, what had happened? Van thought. Just two weeks ago, Zeek was being normal. Then that girl showed up. She was about Vans age, and didn't seem too harmless. But when she left the village, things changed, and soon after, Zeek had followed. But why would Zeek leave?  
  
"Are you going to answer me?"  
  
"You know what happened. He left."  
  
"Well, lets continue, shall we?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The Liger bounded forward, ignited the boosters, extended the blades, and met the Breaker head on. There was a violent struggle, and the Breaker pushed the Liger away, throwing it to the ground. Raven took a few steps back to get a better aim. The golden light began to grow in the Breakers mouth. But just then there was a brilliant white flash, transferring from the outskirts of the battle to the Liger. It seemed as if the Liger was glowing with power, but it didn't get up. The Breaker continued to charge the particle cannon.  
  
But then things all changed. A young woman appeared in-between the two fighting Zoids, her hands out. She was screaming at Raven to stop, but in a very calm way. She had vibrant red hair, and green-blue eyes. She didn't move, but just stood there, not flinching even as the alarms on the Breaker sounded.  
  
"Get out of the way!" Raven called to the woman. Realizing what she was going to do, he angled the Breakers beam so it was pointing away from both the interferer and his target. "What are you doing!"  
  
"Stop, Raven," The girl said. "I know you won't do it. Not when someone stands here."  
  
"You think?" But Raven wasn't able to turn the Breakers beam. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to get killed!"  
  
"Kahn." The girl said, as if that explained everything.  
  
"Kahn?"  
  
"Kahn-Tang. Destiny, fate, spirit, you know. Please, Raven, don't do it. I don't want to remember you as an evil mercenary who kills for fun. I want to remember you as you were."  
  
"Wha-" But before Raven could finish, the girl had disappeared, faded into the mist. The light surrounding the Liger also faded, slowly and gradually. Raven bowed his head and ran a hand through his hair. He knew who she was, he thought, but who was she, exactly?  
  
Van watched in amazement as the light on his panel faded. "No, Zeek! Come back! I need you!"  
  
No, Raven wont attack Zeek's words appeared on the screen.  
  
"Wha-" But Van saw what Zeek meant. The Breaker was walking away with its head bowed, all artillery packed away. The Breaker was retreating. That meant Raven was retreating too. This was almost unspeakable. But then Van saw the light all fade. "No, Zeek, come back!" 


	2. Raven Meet The Zoid of your Nightmares

Chap. 2  
  
Raven mentally chided himself for running from the battle. What was he trying to prove? Better yet, whom was he trying to prove? The person who stopped him from finally proving to Van he could defeat him? What had he been thinking, to turn away from that battle? Raven hung his head in defeat. His first real defeat since... Since the last time he fought Van. The disgrace of walking from a battle wouldn't be hard to remember it would be hard to forget.   
  
Raven thought about how harsh he had been about Zeek. Zeek may have run away from Van, but that didn't mean anything. Zoids ran all the time, and mostly always came back. But he was devastated because Shadow, too, had turned up missing. Ambient and Specula hadn't been seen since the final battle. The Organoids were all disappearing. The world was moving on. Zoids no longer /felt\ but destroyed mercilessly. Even Raven and Van's own Zoids were like everyone else's.  
  
Raven wouldn't admit it, but he was quite devastated. Reese had left not less than two months after the final battle. This had left a permanent mark on Raven's personal life, and it had gone downhill from there. Shadow up and left a year after that.   
  
To put it in easy words, Zi's heroes and villains were going to hell. The planet was moving on. Nothing was as it was. Things were gloomy. People were scarce, due to the attacks by the Death Saurer.  
  
"Why?" Raven asked in despair. "Why has everything gone wrong for me?" His only answer was a slight growl from the Breaker. "Where would Shadow go? Where would Zeek go? Reese, and everyone else?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Of course.  
  
Raven went on in silence. His keen eyes constantly searching the vast wasteland he had wandered in the last month. He caught sight of something or other in the far distance. He angled his Zoid to walk to the object. He was stunned to discover it was a ram-shackled house, with two Zoids behind it. He had never seen the likes of the two Zoids.   
  
One of them was amber and gold in color. It looked like the skeletal remains of some great Dragon. Its head was large and a hooked parrot beak ended its vicious looking head. It's tail balanced its large head. The odd thing about this Zoid was that it's front legs held its entire body up. The claws on the end were large. As of the moment, the Zoid was lying down, apparently asleep, looking strange in the desolate lands.  
  
The other one was part wolf Zoid, but only to the middle of its body. Past there, it had a scaly body, and its front legs were like that of an eagle. Its head, that of an eagle, was brutally shaped, and scrapes in the metal indicated constant battle use. There were two immense wings protruding from its shoulders. The Zoid looked completely still, asleep, but then it surprised Raven. It turned its head, looking directly at the Breaker.  
  
Having little more than seconds to choose an option, Raven flitted the Breaker to the left. But even the Breakers speed was no match for the odd Zoid. It bounded twice, flapped its immense wings, and was airborne. It dived out of the air and rammed the Breaker, throwing it to the ground. The lights blacked out, and Raven blacked out with them. 


	3. Raven, Meet Fenix

Chapter three  
  
"Loki, what were you thinking?!" A disgruntled young woman ran to the cockpit of the Zoid and turned to her partner.   
  
"Loki, you shouldn't 'av. Ee was jus' a trav'er. Ee din't mean us'ns no 'arm!" An older woman followed the younger one.  
  
"He had a breaker. He was harming enough. No one must know we are here."  
  
"Oh, you poor thing!" The young woman had opened the cockpit and was now cradling the pilot's head in her arms. "Look'ee here, Loki. You nearly killed him!"  
  
"Would you rather your precious Bone is destroyed?" Loki asked. "I'm sure you wouldn't want that, would you, Fenix?"  
  
The young woman, obviously Fenix, shook her head defiantly. Her amber hair fell in her face, and she brushed it away. Her green eyes shone out brightly at Loki, the only thing bright about her pale complexion. "You know he would have left us alone."  
  
"See? Loki, ye din't 'ave t' go an' shoot 'im down loik that!" The older woman raised her cane and smacked Loki over the head with it. As Loki cringed away, the old woman nearly toppled, but was caught right before she hit the ground.  
  
"Now now, Missus Eve. You'm be best to say where you are, and don't go bally well lashin'' out at people like that." Loki had flown from standard Zi language, to a slang that he had developed over the years of isolation in the desert.  
  
"Leggo o' me, ye brute!"  
  
"A'ite, marm." Loki let go of Eve, and she balanced herself with her cane.  
  
"Loki, car'y tha' young 'un back to ee 'house. Oi'd espect that ee'll be noice and comfy by the toim oi get in thurr." Eve shook her cane at Loki as she spoke in her strange dialect.  
  
Later that afternoon, after the pilot had been carefully tucked into the spare bed, Loki, Eve, and Fenix sat in the kitchen. Eve tapped her cane on the wood floor impatiently. Loki was stirring a cup of coffee, black with tons of sugar. Fenix was anxiously tapping the table with her fingers.  
  
Loki broke the silence. "When is that pilot going to wake?"  
  
"Whenever he decides. The way you hit him, I'm surprised he's even alive." Fenix sighed, putting her head in her hands.  
  
"Boi moi loif, I'd espect 'im t' wake oop in about foive dayers," Eve laughed.  
  
Fenix's bright eyes caught a tiny movement. The pilot had moved his hand. Fenix's sharp hearing told her that the pilots' breathing wasn't as even now, and he sounded awake. She politely excused herself from the table, to the pilot she was to take care of. By standards, Eve was too old, and Loki would rather kill him.  
  
The pilot was on his back; eyes open, looking at the ceiling. When Fenix approached him, his eyes only shifted to meet her gaze. He had pretty eyes. Not quite hazel, not quite purple. His hair was black, and framed his strict face with its red check and dot tattoo mark.  
  
"You're awake," Fenix said, kneeling by the bed.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"Um.... Our house. I'm not sure where we are anymore. In the desert."  
  
"Where's my Zoid?"  
  
"Outside with ol' Bones and Griffith. I like the Zoid. Its a grand ol' machine. Never saw the likes of that. Not since the Death Saurer."  
  
"Death... Saurer?" The pilot propped himself up on one elbow. "What do you know about the Death Saurer?"  
  
"Oh, I know quite a bit. Hiltz used to live here. I never dreamed he would become a villain. I thought he was going to be a hero. But that's just what he told us. It's been two years. Mother says he died as a fool, but I know better."  
  
"Mother... Whatever are you talking about?"  
  
"Nothing. Oh, my name's Fenix. What's yours?"  
  
The pilot frowned, as if thinking about it. Then he answered simply, "Raven."  
  
"Raven... Kinda like the Raven that helped Van fight the Death Saurer." Fenix giggled. "But you can't be him."  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you that's who I was, would you?"  
  
"Yes. But is that who you really are?"  
  
"Of course. I'm Raven. The Raven who destroyed countless cities, killed hundreds of people, and you're treating me with the kind of respect you would Van. Now, when can I leave? I have someone I have to meet."  
  
"Meet? Who would that be?" Fenix leaned in closer to Raven. "Well?"  
  
"Some girl. Or something. She stopped me in the middle of a battle, and I have to know why."  
  
"Oh, sounds like an adventure. Can I come?"  
  
"No."  
  
Fenix stuck her tongue out at Raven. "What's your problem?"  
  
"Its a personal adventure. You don't come. Beside that, I travel alone."  
  
"Well, alright. If you say. The door's there, your Zoid's out back, and you're free to go." Fenix sat cross-legged, smiling at Raven politely, yet behind the grin, her eyes danced with mischief.  
  
Raven sat up and for the first time looked at the young woman. She had medium length auburn hair, green eyes, and a kindly and at the same time strict face. She was rather pale, and strictly thin, almost nothing. Raven glowered at her and got up to walk out the door.  
  
"Er, Raven, you may want to rethink how you go about this."  
  
Raven didn't heed those words. He walked out, and found his Genobreaker lying relatively on its side and underbelly. It looked rather beat. He walked to the red Zoid and stepped into the cockpit. He tried to get the monster going, but was unable to. He frowned on his sudden bad luck. He was, however, not surprised to see Fenix standing next to the cockpit, grinning like the Cheshire cat, and yet looking calm as an ocean breeze.  
  
"What do you want?" Raven didn't need to waste his time.  
  
"You look like you need some help."  
  
"You couldn't help me if you tried."  
  
"I could. But for helping you, I would like to go on your adventure with you. Okay?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Fine. But get out of the way. Oi doan't loik ee crabby peoples. They'm moighty boring." Fenix suddenly dropped her standard speech for a more complex slack of language.  
  
Raven shook his head and stepped back out of the cockpit. He watched Fenix step in. Then she motioned for Raven to get in the back. He did, with a grin on his face. There was no way she would get the Breaker to its feet again.  
  
"Careful," Fenix warned, smiling even wider than Raven. "She's gonna get up a little rusty."  
  
Raven had little time to get situated before, with a creaking groan, the Breaker heaved itself off the ground to stand. It shook, and its armor plates clanked together. Then it roared, glad to be back on its feet. Raven was standing in the back, his mouth open. When he noticed Fenix looking at him, he quickly closed his mouth.   
  
"Neat trick. I assume you're getting out of my Zoid now?"  
  
"You only assume. But I said I wanted to come with you. So you assume wrong."  
  
"Get out, before I make you wish you never fooled with me."  
  
As the Breaker lowered its head, Fenix smiled and laughed at Raven. "That's a powerful threat. But I wouldn't be counting on it. I'll make you wish you never denied my company. So now," Fenix stepped out of the cockpit, "I bid ye good day."  
  
Then Raven was free to go. He took one last look at the desolate little ram shackled house before turning to walk into the moonlit desert. Fenix shook her head sympathetically. Then, turning to face Bones, the amber Dragon Zoid, she said what was on her mind.  
  
"Poor Raven, he doesn't know what he's getting into. Bones, we have a place to be in the morning."  
  
Bones growled in understanding, his red eyes lighting up. 


	4. Raven and the Hel Cats

Chap. Four  
  
The world has moved on. Kahn-Tang. The world has moved on... Please Raven... I know you wont...  
  
The words echoed in Raven's head, softly at first. Then, as he was readying to fire his partial beam into his dream, the echo became a war-like shriek. The voices overlapped each other in a thunderous war for power. Raven suddenly found himself standing in a field, a bright line of light searing toward him. The light reached him, and he felt his body thrown back with the power of it.  
  
He woke up, breaking out in a sweat, his whole body trembling. He had never experienced such a vivid dream. He lay at the feet of his Genobreaker, camped over twenty miles from the house that Fenix lived in. He sat up, hunched over, and held his head in his shaking hands. Why had that dream plagued him? And why was he out chasing that mysterious girl?  
  
Raven decided he would answer these questions later, and proceed to climb back into the Breakers cockpit. He wouldn't be getting any more sleep the rest of the night, and he minds as well had moved out. He had just started to get going when over twenty desert Hel Cats stormed out of the blackness of the desert.  
  
Raven was completely taken off guard. /The world has moved on/ Apparently that also went for himself. He had moved on. He relied too much on the sights of the Breaker. He hadn't seen the Hel Cats until they merged from the blackness. The one in the lead was slightly larger than all the rest. Apparently the leader, too, as it charged at Raven. But it stopped only yards away. Then the attack came, not from the front, but from the sides. Two Hel Cats had circled round and were now attacking from the sides. Raven put the shield up, but he was too late for the damage the Hel Cats had caused.   
  
Then, as if on signal, the whole mob attacked. Zoid upon Zoid piled on the Breaker, smothering it beneath them. Raven took his anger, confusion, and hate out on the Zoids, his pent up anger enough to throw the attackers off him. He started to charge the beam, but a Cat knocked the Breaker's neck, and the beam hit the ground harmlessly. After the knock, Raven suffered a severe cut on his arm, from the shattered cockpit. There was heavy fire from behind, and Raven was jarred forward.  
  
The Hel Cats backed away as the Geno fell to its knees, gave a fetal roar of anger, defeat, and loss, and toppled to its side. even with this, the Hel Cats stayed where they were, not moving. That is, until a mighty roar from behind them, perhaps miles away, broke through the crowd. The Cats scattered to the four winds, leaving a broken Breaker and a broken Raven in their wake.  
  
(*-Later-*)  
  
Raven woke up gradually. He looked around, but couldn't move his head too much. Every time he did, he felt sharp pangs of mind-jarring pain run down his spine. When he tried to move his hand, he felt a much more intense pain. Slowly but surly, he pushed the pain away, and used his teeth to rip a shred of his shirt sleeve, then tried to wrap it around his wrist. He gritted his teeth in pain, but continued to wrap his wrist best he could.  
  
There were a few more minutes of excruciating pain, and then Raven heard a guttural growl from behind him. Only seconds later, an amber dragon Zoid, balancing on its only two legs,(its arms really) with a giant hooked parrot beak. Its body was that of a skeleton, it's heavy bone tail balancing its skull head, lumbered out in front of him. Its heavy head lowered, until one of its flame red eyes was staring directly into his own.   
  
"Well, lookee here. Likkle auld Raven found 'is way inter a mess."  
  
"You were following me?" Raven's voice was week, but he had a hint of anger thrown in.  
  
"No, I wasn't following you. I was going to go on an adventure of my own, you know, because you said I couldn't go with you. So I'll just be adventuring my way on over there. I'll see you when I see you." Fenix smiled to herself. She turned her Zoid and started to walk off. But before she got far, she heard what she wanted to hear.  
  
"Wait," Raven's weak voice barely carried over the intercom. "Wait, help me." Raven had never said those two words and meant them like he did now. There was no way that he would make it far as injured as he was.  
  
"'Tis music to me ears, matey. Now, hows about telling me what I'm to wait for?"  
  
Raven looked at the big amber beast. A right Zoid if he ever saw one. He scowled at Fenix, which took every ounce of strength, and answered shortly. "Me. My injuries." There was no time to reply, as Raven's head lolled onto his chest. He had passed out from the pain. Fenix just shook her head. A great warrior, she was once told, never fades away.  
  
It appeared that the saying was wrong. Slowly, like the world moving on, Raven was moving on into the forgotten realm of Heroes and Villains. He was moving on.  
  
Kahn. 


	5. Fenix Helps out

Chap. five  
  
Raven stood in a cleared field. Fresh dew collected on the blades of grass. The sun escaped from the horizon and shed her brilliant golden light over the fresh field. There was the silhouette of a Zoid in the distance. It reflected an amber color. Raven tried to see what it was, but he couldn't. Then the dreaded words echoed again in his mind.  
  
"The world has moved on, Kahn-Tang."  
  
Raven opened his eyes out of a deep sleep, and found himself looking into deep, inquisitive green eyes. Startled, he pushed himself back and away from the eyes. He scrambled into a sitting position and let his eyes roam over Fenix. She was dressed differently, not in her traditional worn out pants and shirts. She had faded blue jeans, a faded white shirt, and an even more faded jean jacket. Two belts crisscrossed over her waist, and there were pouches hanging from both belts.  
  
"Am I interesting?" Fenix sat back and proceeded to pick up a bowl of watery soup. "You're staring at me like a visitor at a zoo."  
  
"No." Raven was silent for a few seconds. He didn't ache at all. He felt as good as was to be expected. His wrist only throbbed slightly, and his head didn't hurt. "What did you do to me?"  
  
"Just fizziced ye."  
  
"Physic?"  
  
"Aye, that's the word. Do ye have any objections?"  
  
"I feel fine. I have no objections."  
  
Fenix smiled sweetly. "Then I'm going to adventure over there. Nice to see you again, Raven. Hope you have better luck than I did." She turned around, and was about to step into her Zoid's cockpit when Raven's voice stopped her.  
  
"You havn't lived out here long, have you?" Raven's voice wasn't as cruel sounding, but more questioning.  
  
"Wot are you talking 'bout?" Fenix had suddenly turned on the defensive. "I lived there all my life."  
  
"You couldn't have. With the variety of accents you're giving me, I'd judge you were there for less than a month."  
  
Fenix stiffened. "What's it to you?" She turned and stepped into the Zoid's cockpit, trying to shrug it off.  
  
"Where were you before that?"  
  
"Do I look like a book to you? Guess what, you aren't going to read me like a book. Now, I pray you leave me alone, and you go along your own way." There was a creaking groan, and the Dragon Bone stood up. It ambled off on its two front legs, its skull head turning back to look sorrowfully at Raven.  
  
"I have a feeling there's more to my fine little friend than she wants to tell," Raven sighed, falling back into the cool sand at the foot of his Genobreaker. 


	6. Beat into the Ground

Chap. six  
  
"One more." Raven's voice was harsh and demanding.  
  
Van took a step back. It was been the first time he could remember of him and Raven standing face to face, not Zoid to Zoid. "What do you mean, Raven? I beat you fair and square. You ran, forfeit." Van's voice was calm as ever.  
  
"Something more important came up." Raven took a step forward. "One more. No cheats."  
  
"Or running?"  
  
"Or running."  
  
"Fine. Then we can fight in the morning. I'm tired now."  
  
This statement surprised Raven, but he accepted the terms. Anything was good enough, as long as he was able to defeat his arch enemy. Raven acknowledged Van's remark with a nod, and turned to walk away.  
  
The next morning was a drizzly one. The rains had not yet fully passed. Raven and Van stood outside of the small desert town. Their Zoids ready and willing to fight. The Genobreaker was standing, blades ready. The Liger was crouched low, ready to spring into action. As the first crack of lightning appeared over the horizon, the Liger pounced, landing its paws firmly on the Genobreaker's chest. The Breaker stumbled back, and the Liger's weight made it slam into the ground. Raven's face was illuminated in red lights as the Breaker's attack systems went wild. He fought the Liger off him, with much effort, and threw himself recklessly at his enemy.  
  
The Breaker's jaw clamped onto the Liger's neck, and the Liger's claws found footage in the Breaker's back and chest. Scratching like a demon from hell, the Liger tore long, gaping holes in the thick armor of the Breaker. Screeching in agony, the Breaker tried to shake the Liger and at the same time trying to tighten its death grip on the Liger's neck. But the Liger was too powerful, and the Breaker fell to its knees before it. The jaws went slack, the Liger slipped out of their grasp, and stood a few feet away, guns at the ready.  
  
"Well Raven? Do you still want to fight?"  
  
Raven's head was spinning like a top thrown from a little boy's hand. He tried to clear his head, but only succeeded in making it worse. Slowly, he tried to stand, but before he could, the Liger's foot paw was in the Breaker's back.  
  
"Make a move, and I'll destroy your Zoid." Van was aware he was being too harsh. "Why won't you fight like you used to, Raven? This isn't a challenge anymore."  
  
Raven was about to answer, but instead, threw the Breaker to its feet and spun, hitting the Liger across the face with the Breaker's tail. The Liger sprawled in the mud, but its reflexes were quick. It pounced, sending mud and sparks flying as its claws grated against the Breaker's armor. The Breaker was pushed back, landing on its side in the mud. Raven put a hand to his head, and saw everything go black.  
  
As Van stood over the Breaker, he noticed an amber streak dashing toward them. Turning his Liger, Van looked at the streak. Then, it was in front of him, and he everything faded as the Liger crumpled to the ground. The amber Zoid stood over the Breaker, nudging it with its giant parrot beak, skull-head. Its eyes flashed red, then the cockpit opened.   
  
"Raven?" Fenix made her way cautiously to the cockpit. "Raven, I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Knew it. You're fading, ole pal. You aren't what you used to be. Stop trying to be who you used to be."  
  
Fenix pried the cockpit open and stood in the doorway. She put her hands on her hips, smiling down at the knocked out Raven. "We have a lot to work on, my friend. Up you get." Fenix took her canteen of water from one of her belts, uncapped it, and dumped its contents onto Raven's head. She saved just a little in the bottom.  
  
Raven came awake, sputtering and blinked as water spilled over the sweep of his hair into his face. He put his hands to his face, wiping the water away, then sweeping the water from his hair. "What are you doing?!"   
  
"Waking you up. Nasty old fall you had there, mate."  
  
"Fall? What fall?" Raven blinked a few times and stood up, getting out of the cockpit. "All I remember is I was fighting Van when someone rudely stepped in. I had it. Stay out of my battles from now on."  
  
"Raven, don't you see that you were lagging?" Fenix shook her head. "You couldn't keep up with Van. You know it. Look at your poor Zoid. Its destroyed."  
  
Raven took a quick glance. He didn't want to let Fenix have the satisfaction of seeing the truth in her statement. "You only say that because you want to come with me."  
  
"Raven... Its a pity you never listened to your father." Fenix shook her head, but then seeing Raven's face, she became soft. She had always had a soft spot for faces like those. "Your father... I forgot about that. Sorry, Raven."  
  
"No big deal." Raven turned around.  
  
"Come on, Raven. Just answer me. Will you let me come? You know I can be a lot of help."  
  
"Can, but wont. I travel alone."  
  
"Please? You can jolly well put me on a blinkin' probation for as long as ye like! Please let me come with you! I wont be a bother!"  
  
Raven turned and looked into Fenix's green eyes. He weighed the pros and cons of a traveling partner, decided against it, but took another look into Fenix's eyes. "Fine. If I don't like your trailing around, I'll decide what to do."  
  
"Thank you! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! You don't know what this jolly well means to me!"  
  
"It means you aught to shut that mouth of yours before probation's over and you're out."  
  
Fenix smiled. "Now there's only one question. How do you get that heap of metal off the ground?"  
  
"There's a town over that way. I can walk and get someone to haul it back for repairs."  
  
"That's going to be a lot of money in repairs, you know. Are you sure you can pay for it all?" Fenix smiled at him, and he just gave her a cold stare. Fenix giggled a little nervously and gulped. "Oh, right, the jolly old probation. Ah, heehaw, forgot again."  
  
"Hedge your bets. Probation could be over before you know it."  
  
With no further words, Raven stalked off to the town. Sighing, Fenix sat on the ground. "Well, Bones, I guess I got myself in deep again. I dug myself in a hole again. Cant keep doing this, Ole Pal."  
  
Bones growled, attempting to hint something or other.  
  
"Bones, you know that if I could run across the beach and throw myself into the arms of myself I would. Hah, imagine me taking a liking to that impudent rip."  
  
Bones made a low whine that sounded a lot like laughter. 


	7. Jack Redstone

Chp. seven  
  
The distant rumble of a Gustav's engine sounded. A roll of dust appeared on the horizon. Fenix looked up, glad that the Gustav and Raven were getting back. She stayed sitting with her back against the foot of the Dragon Bone until Raven and the pilot of the Gustav stepped out of the cockpit. Raven walked over to her, and she stood up with a disappointed look on her face.   
  
"It took a long enough time. Glad you're back." Fenix gave Raven one of her beautiful smiles.  
  
"Its a little way to town, Fenix. You don't have to act so surprised, I walked half the way."  
  
"Well, then we can ride the rest of the way back. Get your hunk of junk on the trailers and lets go."  
  
When this was done, Fenix loaded her Dragon onto the trailer. Then the three of them, Raven, Fenix, and the repairman, were going back to town. At first there was nothing. Then, as if a mere speck, there was a single house. Past this, there was a cluster of small houses. Then, an entire town of houses. The change was drastic, and Fenix was amazed at it. She had, so far as she had said, lived in the desert all her life. Therefore she had never seen a city, or even a town.   
  
The Gustav stopped in front of the repair shop, coming to a grinding halt. It creaked and exhaled a cloud of powdery black dust as the cockpit opened. Raven and the repairman jumped out of the ancient Zoid, and Fenix followed them, talking to the repairman.  
  
"Old Zoid, isn't she?" Fenix asked.  
  
"Old? I don't know how old she is, but I'd say positively antediluvian." The repair man smiled at Fenix. "But I'd say you're a spry young'n. Fancy to take a dance with me tonight?"  
  
Fenix smiled and laughed. "Actually, sir, I was going on a little romp with Bones. You're welcome to come along, if you wish."  
  
The repairman, near twenty in age with a head of barely contained dirty blonde hair and green eyes, took Fenix's hand. "I dare say, you shouldn't have asked more!"  
  
"Fenix, are you going to chat with him all day or are you going to get the Breaker off the trailer?" Raven had suddenly appeared between the two, breaking the young man's grasp on Fenix's hand.  
  
"Ahem, excuse me, sir. I have a matter to attend to." Fenix stalked off to the Breaker's cockpit, climbed in, and lazily popped a few buttons. The cockpit closed, and with a few more buttons, the Breaker stood up, though very creakily. Fenix manuvoured the wrecked Zoid to the hangers, but as soon as it got there, it collapsed. When Fenix came stumbling back to Raven and the young man, she was out of breath.  
  
"What happened to you? Pick a fight with a fly?" Raven asked sourly.  
  
"No, I-" Fenix was cut short of her explanation by a sudden glimpse of something. It was a gaily painted sign, hanging over the window of an old school. There were children, singing, laughing, dancing, having a grand old time, inside. Then, in a split second, it was gone, replaced by the sounds of screaming, the smell of burning flesh and hair, the cries of sirens, to far to be of any help, sounded in the distance. Then it was gone, and Raven was standing in front of her.  
  
"You what?"  
  
"I have to go... I mean, I don't feel good."  
  
"Here, I'll show you to the inn. Its a grand little place, if you don't like many people." the young man took Fenix's hand and pulled her down the street. Raven was left to sit behind.  
  
Once to the inn, the young man introduced himself. He took a deep, swinging bow, and kissed Fenix's hand. "My name's Jack Redstone. Its a pleasure to meet you, m'lady."  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Jack. Now, about our romp, with Bones, do you think you could still meet me out there?"  
  
"Out where?"  
  
"About three miles from the southwest point of the town."  
  
"Yes, I can still meet you there."  
  
"Then you can go back and work on the Breaker right now. I can check into a room myself. Besides, Raven is going to be a little annoyed if you don't finish quick-like."  
  
Jack nodded and went back to the repair shop. Raven was sitting with his hands folded across his chest and an utter look of distaste upon his face. Jack avoided him and walked into the hanger to start working on the Zoid. Raven walked into the shop and looked at the guns. There were sniper rifles, long range, and more. But what really caught his eye was the brand new 5005 Sniper Nightmare, a gleaming barrel of gold, the shooting accurate enough to hit a fly from a hundred yards. The gun was beautiful, mounted easily on any Zoid. What a great weapon that would be to have. He could hit Van before Van even knew what hit him. But the price tag was a little over his range.  
  
"You thinkin' 'bout buyin' that'n?" A gruff voice interrupted Raven's thoughts.  
  
"No, just looking. I don't have the money for a fine piece of hardware like that."  
  
"Then git out o' here."  
  
Raven took one look at the overweight man before turning heel and stalking out of the store. He ran a hand through his black hair and looked around town. There weren't very many things to do in such a small town. That's when Raven noticed the sound of Jack working on the Breaker was gone, and with it the Dragon Bone. 


	8. Finishing What They Started

Chp. eight  
  
Fenix shuddered, a sudden chill running down her spine. She was sitting in her Dragon Bone, Jack's Command Wolf loping along at her side. They were leaving for the point where Fenix had selected. What they didn't know was that they would soon be very close. Fenix stopped her Zoid outside a small cave system, a tiny brook slipping through the rocks. The Command Wolf stumbled past the Dragon before turning and stopping.  
  
"We here already?" Jack looked rather confused.  
  
"I guess so. This seems like a nice place to be."  
  
"Just what do you want?" Jack was stepping out of his Wolf now.   
  
"I don' think you could give me anything I wanted, Jack. Its something only one person could give. But I think he isn't going to give it." Fenix stepped out of the Dragon's cockpit and leaned against a rock.  
  
"I'll try," Jack said, standing with his arms crossed.  
  
"So, how long has the town looked like this?" Fenix's voice wavered slightly.  
  
"Nothing much has changed since you left. Nothing but Ty moved on, don't know where he went. Kiyo, we don't know where he went either."  
  
The school burnt down, didn't it?" Her only answer was a nod from Jack. "The children, and Miss Jennifer, they're dead, aren't they?" Her answer was another nod. "I didn't want to leave, but my parents sort of forced me into it. I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey, that's all right. I only want to know who it is you seem to be hanging all over this time."  
  
"Its Raven. You know, from the Death Saurer battle? Raven." Fenix knew she wasn't convincing Jack worth anything. "You don't seem to believe me. I wouldn't imagine why. I don't lie at all."  
  
"Sounds like the time you lied about your homework in Miss Jennifer's class." Jack laughed at the thought of a six year old Fenix stealing into class late and lying that her homework was in the garbage disposal, even though she didn't know what a "garbage disposal" was.  
  
"That was almost twelve years ago, Jack. That was then this is now. Please, believe me."  
  
"I believe you right enough." Jack strode over to Fenix and placed his hands against the rock on either side of her face, trapping her between himself and the rock. "And I know what you want."  
  
Fenix looked up at him with disdain. "But can you give it to me?"  
  
"If you let me, I can." Jack leaned down, his lips right next to hers. He could taste her sweet breath. "I can if you let me," he repeated in a whisper.  
  
Fenix turned her head away. She closed her eyes, let out her breath, and allowed herself to feel the warmth of Jack against the side of her face. "You're right, Jack, but you can't give it to me. Not yet, not for a while. I'm sorry."  
  
But she couldn't be sorry because the next thing she knew, Jack turned her head to his and put his lips to hers. Fenix's eyes went wide in a split second, but she quickly got over it and was kissing him back. She struggled only briefly as his warmth closed over her. She didn't fight him off, like she had intended. Instead, she let him finish what he had started so many years ago.  
  
The next day, Fenix was rather revived. She was not so talkative, but she was a little bit more chipper. Her and Jack exchanged short glances and small smiles, but otherwise didn't talk. Raven was rather grouchy considering the Breaker was only ten minutes from being finished. Jack had gotten back just before sundown, leaving Fenix sprawled with her faded jeans and shirt on the ground, promising to see her later. She had only waved her hand at him in contempt and went back to sleep. Jack had given her a small blanket and told her to be back in the morning. She had waved him away again, and he left. Then he busted ass on the Genobreaker until he managed to fix most of the damage.  
  
Now, Raven was sitting on the chair in the waiting room, one arm slung over the back, slumped in the seat. He yawned when he saw Fenix come in, buttoning her shirt up. He shook his head in disgust and went back to drumming his fingers on the chair. Fenix looked rather jittery to be back at the mechanic shop.  
  
When the Breaker was fixed, Raven and Fenix took off in a hurry. Fenix was already regretting her choice. But Jack was much stronger than her, and she hadn't had much of a choice. But that was behind her. Beside, they hadn't gotten past the taking off the clothes. So Fenix was, however, safe from pregnancy. But she knew she had done the wrong thing. She knew it by the look on Raven's face.  
  
"How did you like that deal?" Raven's voice came out of nowhere.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I get my Zoid fixed and you get some man to sleep with you. Sounds like the deal to me."  
  
"Raven, I had no choice. He was bigger than me."  
  
But no amount of excuses could stray Raven from his choice. 


	9. Fenix

The city was in ruins, and Raven didn't want to stop and find out why all the Di Mantis Zoids were eyeing them so vengfuly. But Fenix had insisted. So, here were two travelers, camped on the outskirts of the city, eating food and drinking coffee. But they didn't care what Zoids saw them because wild Zoids don't attack people. Fenix was surprised when, in the middle of the meal, Raven got up and walked to his Genobreaker. He had said he needed to finish some buissness.  
  
"Gotta do something. You stay here. I'll be back in a day or two."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Something unfinished. You stay here."  
  
"You said that already."  
  
"Just listen then."  
  
Fenix let him leave, but not an hour after he left, was she attacked by the Di Mantis Zoids. They swarmed her and her Dragon Bone. She fought valliently, but she was going under. Then the hundreds of Zoids backed off, and one of them started to change. In a streak of red light, one started to mutate. It grew to be ten times it's origanal size, and looked a lot more fearsome. Fenix was, understandably, frightened at this change. But when this new Zoid flung itself upon her and the Dragon, she fought like she had no other choice in the world.   
  
The evolved Zoid had the upper hand even with the Dragon Bone at its maximum power. In a desperate lunge, the Dragon ejected Fenix from the cockpit to keep her safe. Then, in a show of ancient fury, the skelital remains of a great dragon wrenched into action. Fighting like a madbeast, the Dragon Bone forced the mantis Zoid back.   
  
In the meanwhile, Fenix was hurtiling through the air. She crashed headlong into anabandoned house's boarded up window. She landed roughly on a creaky old bed full of musty, mildew blankets and round, black spiders. Jumping up and slapping at the twenty or so spiders, she looked out the window and drew a sharp intake of breath. The Dragon was going under the hundreds of Zoids.   
  
Calling out hoarsly, Fenix managed to shout, "Bones! Oh, god, no, you god damned Zoids!" and slammed her fist down on the windowsill, shaking loose a board. Then she watched in terror as the evolved Zoid rounded on her. It's glowing red eyes picked her out eisly among the wreckage. Then, in mindblurring speed, it was next to the house. In a graceful, deadly swing of its nasty scythe, the house went to rubble. Fenix scrambled out the front door, byt stumbled and fgell. She turned onto her back in time to see a wooden shaft about three feet long hurtliung in her direction. She tried to roll out of the way, but the shaft burried itself into her left shoulder. Gasping in pain, the last thing Fenix saw was the red eyes of the Zoid feet from her face.  
  
((((((_))))))  
  
The figure staggered into the deserted town. Or so it seemed. But chickens and guini hens, all wild, stared at the figures broaken form. Limping on its right ankle, right hand clasped firmly to a shaft sticking out of it's shoulder, the figure stumbled on down the street, hoping to find someone who could help. But the chickens scattered in fear, the hens walked catiously and curiously behind. Apparently nothing was going to help. In a show of defete, the figure slid to its knees. Gulping down tears of regret, the figure tried to stand, struggled to its feet once more, but wasn't able to stay.  
  
The young man strode out of the shadows hurridly. He knelt by the figure, who was standing up once more. He put his hand on her shoulderand tried to help the young woman who so dirly needed it. "Here," the young man's voice was soft, "Let me help you."  
  
"You don't need to help me." The young woman was harsh, but her voice was weak. She shrugged the young man off and trudged onward, to fall in a heap just a few feet away.  
  
"Come one, up you get, lassie. Wouldn't do yon no good tae ye if'n you're almost dead." The young man eased the woman into his arms and carried her back to his house, going about to dress her wounds.  
  
((((((_))))))  
  
Raven walked the Genobreaker around the city, and came upon the wreck of the Dragon Bone. It lay at an odd angle, the left wing tore off, the jaw at a strange angle. It's armor was the only thing that kept the Zoid together. Otherwise, it was wrecked beyond repair. Raven wasn't worried about this, but rather about the fate of the pilot. He got out of the cockpit, assesed the damage of the Zoid, and made a beline for the abandoned city.  
  
once there, he looked around town. Surly she had to be in a house somewhere. When he came to the house that had been demolished by the Mantis, he found a puddle of deep red. His stomache turned, and he followed the dried speckles to the street, and thus began his journy to find Fenix. 


	10. Fenix Wakes Up

Chp.10  
  
Fenix awoke with a jolt. Her whole body ached, and her ankle felt like it had swollen to the size of a basketball. Her shoulder, however, hurt even more. She cringed in pain as she pulled her right hand from her side to put it on her shoulder. She was surprised to feel that there were bandages covering her shoulder, and the shaft seemed to be gone. Trying to clear her head, Fenix looked around, but she saw nothing familiar.   
  
The ceiling was covered in drawings by young children of houses and stick people with the labels of mom and dad, brother and sister, and "dog". For some reason, this made Fenix comfortable, to know a young child had once stayed in this room, but she didn't know why. The bed she was laying on was soft and plushy, and smelled of green pine. To her right, she could see a dresser with old dusty photos in older, dustier frames. The photos were of a young family of four, a boy, a girl, and the parents, a young man with strikingly good features and dark hair, standing beside him, a young woman with frizzy red hair and green eyes. The family looked to be very happy.  
  
Fenix smiled to herself and looked back at the ceiling, but all she saw was a big, silver shout, leading to red eyes. Fenix yelled, and scrambled to a sitting position, pushing the thing away. With a cry of surprise, the 'thing' jumped back, too, except the 'thing' turned out to be an organoid. Actually, the organoid known as Zeek. This was the organoid that had followed Fenix out of Wind Colony and through Almay. When Fenix saw this, she calmed down, and the organoid came back to look her in the eyes.  
  
"You gave me a scare. What are you doing here?" Fenix asked just as the young man from the old picture came into the room, closely followed by two young children of first grade age. Fenix smiled sweetly, and waved to the children. "Hello there!"  
  
The children didn't answer, they just hid behind the man, who looked much older than he really was.   
  
"Ah see yer doin better," the man said.  
  
"Yeah, thanks to you, I guess. What's your name, stranger?"  
  
"Mah name's be Jegan. Ah've lived here most mah life, and Ah ain't never seen no'ne the likes of you," Jegan said.  
  
"Oh? Nice to meet you, Jegan the Northerner. My name is Fenix, thought that's not my real name, that's what everyone calls me," Fenix said, holding out her hand. But Jegan didn't shake it. In all, Fenix thought, He's really mean, almost like Raven.  
  
"Wit inj'ries of the like you 'ad, Ah'm surprised you ev'n made it," Jegan said.  
  
"They were that bad?" Fenix asked, wide-eyed with wonder.  
  
"Ah'm 'fraid so, missie," Jegan said. "Ther w's that shaft, nasty ol' ting, that, an' yer ankle, twist an' broke, ah think, an' there was the loss o' blood, an' a lot o' other tings," he siad, counting them off on his fingers.  
  
"What day is it?" Fenix asked.  
  
"Och, noo, Day? Ah don' know. Ah know t'was six days 'go tha' yon came here."  
  
"Six days," Fenix repeted. She had really been out of it. She never slept that long, injuries or not. Had that mantas really put one on her? Was Khan-Tang pulling her with it? She looked out the window, wondering, waiting, for Raven to find her. But would he? Maybe after seeing the Dragon Bone(she didn't want to think about what had happened to her precious Zoid), he had left her as dead. Or, she thought, laughing, This has all been a bad dream, and I just need to wake up. She laughed, first to herself, then out loud. Jegan and his children were looking at her as if she were crazy. Let them, she thought.  
  
"I won'er what yon has ter laugh about."  
  
"Its just good to be alive," Fenix said through her laughing fit.  
  
MEANWHILE:  
  
Raven looked at the spots of blood as they became darker and more often spotted along the road. It was his sixth day of looking, but each time, the blood spots disappeared in the same place. Maybe he was missing something. He wondered whether he would find Fenix dead or alive, then wondered why he would even care. Then, he walked back out of the old ramshackle town and to the Dragon Bone. The marks upon the Dragon looked as if they were caused by a huge scythe, but the only Zoid with a scythe large enough to cause damage to the Dragon was the Death Stinger. The other Zoids didn't even compare to the sheer size of the Dragon.  
  
"What happened here?" Raven asked the wretched Zoid. "I need to know what happened here. I don't know why, but I do."  
  
As usual, no one answered him, and he was left to wonder. He turned around to walk back to his GenoBreaker, and ran smack dab into a black Zoid.  
  
"What the-"  
  
___  
  
Fenix stroked the organoid's head and listened as Jegan talked about his family. It turned out, Fenix learned, the pretty woman in the picture frame was actually Jegan's eldest daughter, from his "sweet sixteen" as he called it. Jegan's wife had died after giving birth to Moonay(not a spelling error!), the youngest, also a daughter. Yashi was the middle aged child, the only boy. Fenix also learned that the organoid had only appeared after she had, and had stayed in her room for the whole time she was asleep. She also learned that two other organoids had been hanging around the town, slowly destroying from the outside in. One was the Red Organoid, and the other had not been seen, but it had been heard.  
  
"Sounds like Ambient. The other could be an undiscovered Organoid, or it could be Specula or Shadow, seeing as Zeek is here. But if Zeek is here," Fenix mused, "then Van must be close by, right?"  
  
Jegan was looking at her with a look of insanity, as were his children. "What on earth are yon talkin' about?"  
  
"Oh," Fenix laughed, her hand behind her head, "sorry, forgot you didn't know about me. Well, as you know my name is Fenix. I pilot a Zoid known as the Dragon bone, along with a GenoBreaker that is really Raven's, but-"  
  
"Raven? does yon mean the Raven tha' 'ad the Saber Tiger? Don't yon speak tha' Devil's name un'er mah roof!" Jegan snapped, totaly startling Fenix.  
  
"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know... What did.... *he* do to you?"  
  
"Does yon know why this town is destroyed? 'Tis not 'cause o' the Organoids. 'Tis because o' 'im. 'E destroyed this town, an' Ah'll ne'er fo'give 'him fer killin mah eldest daughter," Jegan snarled.  
  
"Are you sure it was him? Are you sure he did it? I mean, he's not that way anymore-" Fenix said quickly, not wanting to believe that Raven could do something like that.  
  
"But he was then. And that is who he still is in my opinion."  
  
_____  
  
Raven looked the black Zoid in the eyes and his eyes went wide. "What the-"  
  
THUD  
  
Raven was knocked down by the black Zoid's tail as it spun around. Raven held his head and looked up to see the Zoid as it was.  
  
"Sh- Shadow? Wha- How did you get here? Why did you hit me like that?" Raven asked, looking up at the organoid.  
  
Shadow growled and stomped his foot next to Raven's head. Raven slowly sat up and watched the black organoid. Shadow walked over to the Dragon Bone and circled it, all the while growling with interest.  
  
"Shadow, what are you doing?"  
  
Shadow walked over to Raven, grabbed his old master by the shirt collar, and took off, much to the displeasure of Raven, who was dangling by his shirt collar about thirty feet in the air. Where Shadow was taking him was a mystery.  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
What do you think so far? I think its nice, for me, at least. 


End file.
